Worker confidence falls in September, survey finds
FORT LAUDERDALE — Worker confidence dipped in September even as the job market rebounded, according to Spherion’s monthly employment survey.
The Spherion Employee Confidence Index fell 1.8 points to 56.7 points
in September, its lowest level this year and second consecutive decline.
The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Spherion, found 79 percent of workers remain confident that they will not lose their job in the next year, but also found that fewer feel confident in the future of their current employer and in their ability to find a new job.
The percentage of workers confident in the future of their employer dropped 3 points to 64 percent, while the percentage of workers confident that they can find a new job fell 4 points to 58 percent.
Also, 33 percent are likely to seek new jobs in the next 12 months, compared to 37 percent in August, another indicator of declining confidence.
"Our confidence index indicates that concerns bred by recent reports of 
economic uncertainty and slower job growth certainly grew stronger in
September,” CEO Roy Krause said. "Despite the drop, our data still shows that a majority of workers remain
quite confident in their own job security, the future of their current
employer and in their ability to find a new job."
Krause said there are signs of strength in the economy and that the jobs market remains healthy for job seekers despite a slower rate of expansion than seen in recent years.
Results from the September Spherion Employment Report:
— 18 percent of U.S. adult workers believe the economy is getting stronger, compared to 19 percent in the previous month.
— The percentage of U.S. adult workers who believe that more jobs are available remained unchanged from last month at 26 percent.
— 64 percent of U.S. adult workers feel confident in the future of their current employer, a decrease of 3 percentage points compared to August.
— 58 percent of U.S. adult workers are confident in their own ability to find a new job, down four percentage points from the previous month.
— 79 percent of U.S. workers believe that it is unlikely that they will lose their jobs in the next twelve months, a decrease of one percentage point from August.
— 33 percent of workers are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months, compared to 37 percent in the previous month.
